How Access to Information Gives Uruguayans a Voice
Access to Public Information Unit
Summary
In Uruguay, the Access to Public Information Unit (UAIP in Spanish) created, for the first time ever, an index to publicly assess public agencies’ transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the public,... More and access to information to strengthen transparency and improve the relationship between the State and their citizens.
Submitted by: Graciela Romero
Graciela Romero is the coordinator of the Access to Public Information Unit and legal advisor of the Agency of Electronic Government and Information Society (AGESIC). She is a human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... and open government specialist and holds a degree in Law and Social Sciences.
According to Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perception Index, Uruguay is Latin America’s most transparent country. This is largely a result of the country’s policies focused on promoting a culture of transparency and access to information. Thanks to the right to access to information, the citizenry knows how the State operates and understands the implementation of policies that affect the citizens, allowing them to have agency, contribute to improving public services and exercise their rights.
How and why the National Transparency and Access to Information Index (INTAI in Spanish) was created?
Uruguay has a regulatory framework that grants access to government-held information. In the last few years, the UAIP has developed transparency metrics. However, the unit identified uneven compliance with legal requirements and recognized that public information needs to be measured broadly to improve public policies.
The index is a commitment included in Uruguay’s 2018-2020 open government action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open government ... and aims to improve the transparency of public agencies. Along with other commitments in the action plan, the INTAI was included in the plan as a result of the demands that civil society stakeholders presented during the action plan co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive....
Thus, the INTAI was created in 2021. The first edition includes information submitted by public agencies between October 2021 and May 2022. In addition to assessing the agencies, the process led by UAIP included training, advisory and self-assessment by public agencies.
After the publication of the first version of the index, there was growing concern from agencies to secure compliance with the Access to Public Information Act, to train their staff and to improve channels used by the citizenry to request information. Public agencies started contacting the UAIP with consultations on how to eliminate barriers for the citizenry to access public information. Since then, over 25 agencies have modified their responses and completed the forms, while 10 additional agencies have consulted the unit on how to improve their score.
The first edition of the INTAI was published in an open data format and in a viewer that allows users to track results and consult individual achievements and pending obligations.
What is the INTAI and its elements?
The index measures and synthesizes one single measure across institutions on all aspects related to disclosure of information by the State, ease to request public information, archive management and institutional awareness. It also assesses compliance with the Access to Public Information Act and its associated regulations.
To this end, Uruguay’s UAIP used two sources of information: data submitted by each institution via a self-assessment form and information submitted via reports on their completionImplementers must follow through on their commitments for them to achieve impact. For each commitment, OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) evaluates the degree to which the activities outlined... More with the Access to Public Information Act.
Each institution was responsible for submitting complete and up-to-date information. Once the data were analyzed and processed, the UAIP published a report, which was shared with the agencies to complement, correct or ratify before publication.
The first version of the methodology was created by the UAIP and then validated by the unit’s Executive Council. It was then refined in two sessions in which civil society organizations, academic institutions and government representatives participated.
The survey and assessment will continue in May of 2023 when the second edition of the INTAI will be launched. This will show how transparency has evolved in each agency and will include additional indicators and institutions.
Leave a Reply